I remained silent at Neptune’s offer.
“What’s it gonna be? You won’t suffer for it, I promise.”
“Hmm… I think not,” I finally answered.
The sexier one behind Neptune, Lil, knitted her brow in anger. She looked about ready to attack me at any given moment, but Neptune raised his hand to stop her.
With his usual affable smile, he asked me, “Why ever not? I’d love to hear your reason.”
“You won’t back down unless I tell you, huh?”
“Yep. I’m genuinely serious right now.”
I sighed.
“Because you’re not troubled.”
“Do I have to be?”
“It’s not exactly that you have to be…”
I struggled with his earnest question.
He was right; that was my intent. But when he asked me outright, I struggled to answer.
Ever since I’d arrived in this world, I’d mostly acted based on helping people.
People who tried their hardest but never got anything out of it. People being exploited by others. I helped the kind of person who reminded me of my past self, basically.
Following that logic, I doubted he needed my help. He wasn’t unrewarded, and he wasn’t exploited; quite the opposite, in fact.
That was why I’d refused.
“No worries there, then,” he said.
“Huh?”
“I’m super troubled, actually.” Neptune flashed his usual calm smile and said, “Tennessine.”
“The 117th one, huh?” I muttered to myself.
“Hmm?”
“Nothing. Is that a newly born dungeon?”
Lil and Ran’s eyes went wide, as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Neptune wasn’t as surprised; rather, his smile grew bigger. “Hahaha, you really are incredible. You already know about a new dungeon when we haven’t announced it anywhere. Only a select few have heard the news.”
“…”
That might’ve been stupid of me.
Element 117, Tennessine. I knew about it because it had been named around the same time as Nihonium. I didn’t know how it had arisen in this world; I’d only reacted because of the name. That was what made my response careless.
“I’ve been asked to investigate it, just like Nihonium,” he explained.
“Impressive.”
“But I’m in a real tight spot. Frankly, I can’t do it myself; I’m a little bit cursed. So I need your help.”
“A tight spot?”
“Yep. To be honest, you’re the only guy I can ask. Because you’re the only person in this world who’s stronger than me.”
I gazed at Neptune, trying to figure out his hidden intent. But there wasn’t much point in doing that. Finally, I said, “You’re no fair.”
“Oh, really?”
He played dumb. I wouldn’t have been able to tell if he were alone, but Lil and Ran’s facial expressions spoke louder than words.
Lil looked furious, as if she’d kill me if I refused. Ran was sad, as if to say she’d die of sadness if anything happened to Neptune. Both of them were even more worried about him than he was.
That was what was unfair─bringing the two of them here.
I sighed. “Okay, fine.”
“You mean it?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you! Lil, Ran?” Neptune looked to the girls.
“Okay!”
“Hmph… We just have to do what you said, right?”
The two of them turned around and ran back the way they’d came.
“What are they doing?” I asked him.
“Call it preparation. First, we need to make a big fuss so everyone knows that Neptune has joined the Ryota Family.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“…Yeah.”
“Hey, what was with that pause?”
Were those two just acting?
“Whaaat? Haha, come ooon. It’s not like I’m taking advantage of a legitimate problem I’m having to get into the fold, or anything.”
“Now you’re just being brazen!” I roared. I was starting to regret agreeing.
Still, it was rare for him to be this serious.
“Thank you, honestly. This is a big help.”
“…You really are unfair.”
At least he can stay strong, I guess.
After that, he left Nihonium, announcing that he’d return once he was ready. I refocused myself, raised my dexterity to B, and went back to the mansion.
When I got back via the portal, Ina ran up and screamed, “Aaah! Ryota, there’s an emergency!”
“Ina? What’s got you so panicked?”
“L-Look outside!”
“Outside?” As directed, I looked out the window. “Whoa! That’s one heck of a crowd… Must be over a hundred people.”
“They’re all adventurers under the Neptune Family.”
“Neptune?”
My eyebrow twitched. I had a bad feeling about this.
“They heard that Neptune joined the Ryota Family, and they want a piece of the pie. A few of them have already said they’ll follow you as their new boss for the rest of their lives.”
I massaged my brow. A headache started to come on. They were eager to join me, but I couldn’t start accepting any random person who came to my door.
For now, I chased them all off.
And for many days after, I was constantly haunted by third-party groups who claimed to be under the Neptune Family who would now technically be under us as well.